


I'm Still Here

by conversekitten



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Abusive Relationships, M/M, bertrum is the best man in the world to grant, between Joey and Grant, not bertrum and grant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 12:37:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18410789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conversekitten/pseuds/conversekitten
Summary: Relationships aren't easy but neither is saving someone from an abusive one as Bertrum will come to find out when Grant comes to work with a black eye one day.





	I'm Still Here

**Author's Note:**

> Now I had this idea in my head and I needed to write it out. This does deal with a lot of stuff mainly a bad relationship and abuse so fair warning. Also if you or anyone you know is experiencing some sort of abuse please contact somebody who can help. It might be nothing but it could also be something.

Bertrum was never a man who missed subtle clues or details. He could find the smallest thing that needed to be repaired on a machine and design a building down to the very last screw. That was also the case when he noticed the usual cheerful Grant Cohen, their accountant, change his attitude ever so slightly.

Mr. Cohen was decent enough company and bertrum enjoyed being in the man’s presence. It was nice to have another intellectual man to speak with about things that were actually relevant to the business over coffee.

Until the day that it wasn’t.

Bertrum was going to the break room to pour himself another cup of coffee when he walked in and saw Grant making more. He smiles and walks up behind the other man.

“Good morning Mr. Cohen.” He said. Then much to his surprise the man jumped nearly a foot in the air and dropped the pot of coffee onto the floor. It spilled coffee all over the floor and bertrum got a look at Grant’s terrified face.

“Oh no I’m sorry! I’m…I’m sorry Mr. Peidmont! I’ll…I’ll clean that up right now!” He shakily exclaimed grabbing a few paper towels and getting down on his knees wiping up the spilled coffee. Bertrum puts his mug onto the counter, a trifle concerned.

“Mr. Cohen it’s quite alright. It was just a small accident.”

Grant continues scrubbing the floor Sha his head.

“No no it wasn’t….I..I got coffee all over your shoes as well….I’m just so clumsy and sloppy…..” He said a slight crack in his voice. Bertrum frowns and pulls Grant to his feet.

“Mr. Cohen it’s quite fine. Mr. Franks will clean that up and we will make more coffee.” He said and he heard Wally groan loudly out in the hallway after hearing that. Grant nodded and wrung his hands not meeting bertrums eyes.

“Of….of course. I just wish we didn’t spend so much on it…” He says leaving the room quickly. Wally came in and picked the pot up off of the floor then puts it on the counter.

“That seem weird to you?” He asks bertrum. Said man nods.

“Yes….very much so.”

Over the next few days bertrum noticed small but major differences in Grant’s demeanor such as the fact that when he ate in the break room he kept glancing at the door and taking small bites of his sandwich. Grant was usually done with lunch in thirty minutes so he could get back to work but now it took him an hour and forty five minutes to finish, almost like he was prolonging something.

He was also a lot jumpier and didn’t like people getting too close to the him. He wouldn’t look anyone in the eyes and was always wringing his hands.

Then the big clue came when Joey was in the room. Bertrum would see Grant stiffen at their boss’s voice then desperately try and make the man happy spouting off all sorts of nonsense. Joey would remain distant and cold towards Grant while the man rushed to do his bidding.

After hearing a violent exchange between Mr. Drew and Mr. Cohen that resulted in Grant having a black eye the next day, bertrum felt like it was time to intervene.

He invited Grant to lunch with him and after much convincing, the accountant finally agreed. Bertrum treated Grant to a nice restaurant, a lovely bistro downtown and told him to order anything he’d like. Grant was skittish at first but then bertrum saw the man visibly relax when he realized bertrum meant him no harm.

“Th-thank you for this Mr. Peidmont. It’s nice to have lunch with a friend. I don’t….have many of them.”

Bertrum frowns. “Why don’t you?”

Grant looks down at his menu. “Well….Joey thinks that they’re a waste of time. I should focus more on work.”

Realization hits bertrum. “Mr. Cohen are you….seeing Mr. Drew romantically?”

Grant gulps and he nods.

Everything made sense then: the jumpiness, the black eye, the constant effort to try and keep Joey from getting angry at him…..Grant was in an abusive relationship.

Bertrum sighs. “Mr. Cohen I must ask you…..has Mr. Drew been hurting you?”

Grant gulps and shakes his head.

“No he disciplines me because I have a habit of costing the company money.”

Bertrum sighs. “Mr. Cohen listen to yourself. You know full well that it’s his fault the studio is losing money because he keeps spending it on frivolous things. He’s also not disciplining you he’s abusing you.”

Grant gulps. “I know it may seem that way but it’s actually just……well foreplay.”

Bertrum is flabbergasted. “You mean you enjoy being afraid if him? Being so scared that you can’t eat in peace? Do you enjoy being screamed at and being given a black eye?”

Grant looks down at his menu his eyes filling with tears. “Our…. relationship is complicated is all. I……I am a masochist after all.” He mumbles. Bertrum sighs.

“I might not understand why people enjoy that lifestyle but I do know that with every……(ahem) sexual exploration there needs to be some common and safe ground. Does he do any of that with you?”

Grant is silent for a long time not looking at bertrum.

“No…..” He whispers.

Bertrum nods. “Then it’s not a healthy relationship and needs to stop.”

Grant gulps. “Mr. Peidmont I can’t leave Joey. He would take my job from me then make sure I’d never work again. Besides we’re doing fine, much better than before.”

Bertrum sighs. There was no getting through to him right now so they had lunch and bertrum reminded Grant that if he needed help with anything then he was here.

Things escalated until the day bertrum heard laughing from the break room and grant rushing out with his face in his hands crying. He runs past bertrum and said man turns to see Lacie running doen the hall.

“Lacie what on God’s green earth happened?” He asked the woman and she sighed.

“Was Joey again. Came into the break room yellin’ n’ cursin’ bout how Grant cost him more money, then Grant started apologizin, then Joey suddenly got nice. He told Grant that he was sorry then to give him a hug and when Grant did that……..(sigh) Joey stuck his hands down the back of Grant’s pants then yanked his underwear out and pulled it over his head.”

Bertrum gulped as he felt horrified at Joey’s actions. He turned and hurried down the hallway towards Grant’s office. He found the man sitting at his desk sobbing into his arms. He walks into the room then stands next to Grant’s desk.

“Do you believe me now?” He asked and grant sobbed harder. He looks up at bertrum wiping his eyes with his hand.

“Bertrum I know what you’re trying to do but I’m fine.”

Bertrum growls. “No, you aren’t! You know what? No, let me say something and please listen to me.”

Grant sniffles and nods. Bertrum clears his throat. “Grant, you are not fine. The person I see in front of me is a toy to be used and a pawn to be taken advantage of. I call you person and not man because you have decided that you are no longer worthy of the title and you would rather make your life miserable than be happy. You may think that things will get better but they won’t. You know as well as I do that Mr. Drew will never change so why put forth the effort to try and do it for him? I………I can’t stand by and watch someone who used to be so vibrant and carefree get turned into a shell of his former self. What he’s doing to you is wrong and you know it but you choose not to accept it because you’re afraid that there won’t be anyone to pick you up. But you’re wrong Grant….”

Bertrum comes over and tips Grant’s head up to look at him.

“Because I’m still here and like I told you before, I always will be.”

He gently hugs Grant and kisses the top of his head. He gently rubs Grant’s back and said man sobs into his shoulder before hugging him back tightly.

Then they kiss tenderly and for the first time in forever, Grant is happy.

Within his grand machine bertrum can hear the heart wrenching sobs of the lost ink covered souls. Among them he could hear one in particular that was all too familiar.

“There’s no need to cry Grant…..I’m still here and this will all be over soon.” He says as he hears footsteps entering the room.

 

Alternate ending:

Bertrum tucked an opened can of that awful bacon soup into his jacket pocket as he walks to Joey’s office. He went in to see said man standing in front of his desk looking over documents with his back turned to bertrum. Said man cane closer and cleared his throat. Joey sighs.

“What is it Bertie?”

Said man chuckles. “Well nothing really. Just wanted to see if you would like to join me today for lunch?”

Joey frowns. “You, really? That’s a laugh!”

Bertrum grips the can of soup in one hand in his jacket pocket. “No really just to bury the hatchet. That nickname is amusing. I understand you enjoy bacon soup?”

Joey chuckles. “Yeah I do.”

Bertrum smirks as he gets behind Joey before reaching forward and pulling the back of Joey’s pants and underwear open. Then he pulls the can of bacon soup out of his jacket pocket, dumps the soup into Joey’s underwear then grabs the waistband of it and yanks it up into the air as high as he can before snapping the waistband over the top of Joey’s head.

He smirks as Joey whimpers his face beet red.

“Enjoy Mr. Drew.” He says before taking his leave.

**Author's Note:**

> I just had to let Bertrum get his revenge against Joey. I just had to.


End file.
